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Godly Influence on Money

Apr. 26, 2017
| By
Creflo Dollar

Summary

During his earthly ministry, Jesus went to great lengths to teach and explain how money and trust are connected, and how trusting in money opens the door to Satan’s influence. Whatever spirit influences us, whether God or mammon, will rub off onto our money. If we are not careful, we can get confused on this point and try to serve both spirits at once. This only leads to confusion and instability. Regardless of what mammon says, money can never do the things God can do. Submitting to a godly influence on our money allows us to honor God and do what he instructs us to do. Honor is the currency for promotion, expansion, and all the things we hope to see happen in our lives.

A. The choice whether we serve God or mammon is up to us. We cannot choose both.

He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much, and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (Luke 16:10-13).

This specifically refers to money. If we do not submit to a godly influence on our lives in general, we will not be faithful with money.

If we try to serve God and mammon at the same time, we are double-minded (James 1:7, 8). We are thrown into confusion caused by mixing them together (Mark 2:21, 22).

God does not mind us being hot or cold, but he does mind when we try to be both and end up being lukewarm (Revelation 3:15, 16).

The mixture that displeases God is an attempt to mix the law of Moses with grace. We cannot live under both; if we try, we will not see any results in our lives.

The spirit of mammon operates in the world. We must keep ourselves separate from it (1 John 2:15, 16).

Jesus was able to accurately judge people’s character by how they thought about money. This is illustrated in his meeting with the rich young ruler (Matthew 19:16-22; Mark 10:17-22; Luke 18:18-23).

Honor the Lord with your substance, and with the first fruits of all your increase. So shall your barns be filled with plenty, and your presses will burst out with new wine (Proverbs 3:9, 10).

Another word for “substance” is “capital.” This tells us to honor God with our money.

To honor is to carry weight, or to weigh in heavily. We honor God when we give him first place by demonstrating that his words carry more weight than anything else. This type of honor produces manifestations.

God promises that if we honor him, he will honor us. No one can honor us like God.

Wherefore the Lord God of Israel said, I said indeed that your house, and the house of your father, should walk before me forever. But now the Lord says, Be it far from me, for them who honor me I will honor, and they who despise me will be lightly esteemed (1 Samuel 2:30).

How can you believe, which receive honor one of another, and do not seek the honor that comes only from God? (John 5:44).

When Jesus then lifted up his eyes and saw a great company come unto him, he said to Philip, Whence will we buy bread, that these may eat? He said this to prove him, for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that everyone may take a little. One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fishes, but what are they among so many? Jesus said, Make the men sit down. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were sitting, and likewise of the fishes as much as they would. When they were filled, he said to his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them who had eaten (John 6:5-13).

The place of rest is the place of manifestation.

The snack was sown; God blessed it and his influence got on it. But he did not forget about the boy who initially made the offering; there was plenty left over for him.

B. We can either seek mammon’s “anointing” on our lives and money, or God’s anointing.

But seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you (Matthew 6:33).

We should not seek things; they should seek us. Promotion will search us out and find us. The key to this is what we honor and put first.

And he said to him, Behold now, there is in this city a man of God, and he is an honorable man. All that he says surely comes. Now let us go hither; peradventure he can show us our way that we should go. Then Saul said to his servant, But behold, if we go, what shall we bring the man? For the bread is spent in our vessels, and there is not a present to bring to the man of God. What have we? And the servant answered Saul again, and said, Behold, I have here at hand the fourth part of a shekel of silver. That I will give to the man of God, to tell us our way. And as they were going down to the end of the city, Samuel said to Saul, Bid the servant to pass on before us, (and he passed on), but you stand still a while, that I may show you the word of God (1 Samuel 9:6-8, 27).

Saul and his servant took something physical, in this case money, to honor God.

Then Samuel took a vial of oil and poured it upon his head, kissed him, and said, Is it not because the Lord has anointed you to be captain over his inheritance? When you are departed from me today, then you will find two men by Rachel’s sepulcher in the border of Benjamin at Zelzah, and they will say to you, The donkeys which you went to seek are found. And lo, your father has left the care of the donkeys, and sorrows for you, saying, What shall I do for my son? Then shall you go on forward from there, and come to the plain of Tabor, and there shall meet you three men going up to God to Bethel, one carrying three goats, another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a bottle of wine. They will salute you, and give you two loaves of bread, which you will receive of their hands. After that you will come to the hill of God, where is the garrison of the Philistines. It will come to pass, when you are come to the city, that you will meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place with a psaltery, a tabret, a pipe, and a harp, and they will prophesy. And the Spirit of the Lord will come upon you, and you will prophesy with them, and be turned into another man (1 Samuel 10:1-6).

Oil was a type of anointing. When godly influence is operating in our lives, the anointing shows up.

What had previously been lost was found through supernatural restoration.

When the Spirit of God is on us, our old man, which is our old nature, must bow down and submit to the new man.

We must ask ourselves if we will truly honor God. Many people honor him with their lips, but their hearts are far from him (Isaiah 29:13; Matthew 15:8).

We determine where our hearts are by finding where our treasure is (Matthew 6:21; Luke 12:34).

We do not need to be moved by trouble when we remember who we are in Christ.

There is no reason to fear trouble coming upon us (Psalm 23:1-6; Psalm 91:7).